Museums in Kaartinkaupunki are going open air!

The Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design Museum are expanding their activities to the courtyard between the two museums from June to September 2011.

The Ihan Pihalla! – Out There! event series is part of the Sandwich project that takes the museums into the public space and raises awareness of the acute need for expanding the two museums with a new joint annex.

The Ihan Pihalla! -  Out There! events were selected on the basis of an open applications process arranged by the two museums. The selection criteria emphasised originality, creativity and playfulness. The events are open to the public and free of charge and they take a position on issues related to architecture, design or urban planning and offer city residents and museum visitors insights into these topics.

Checkmate – chess from July to September

Checkmate is a landscape-architectural reinterpretation of the familiar oversized chessboards found in some of Helsinki’s public parks. Revelling in greenery, the chessboard is a living palette that constantly changes throughout the summer. Players of all ages and abilities are welcome to come and play a game of chess or simply admire the living chessboard. If you enjoy playing chess in a park, don’t miss this chance to experience a park as a chessboard! 

Checkmate opens to the public in the evening on Wednesday 30 June and will be available for as long as the weather permits in the autumn. The chess pieces are available during the museums’ opening hours and by special arrangement at other times. Please direct your enquiries to the ticket offices at the museums.

Why not organise a chess tournament with a group of friends?

Architecture Films as part of the Helsinki Festival

Five Master Houses of the World, a series of five documentary films by Rex Rinnekangas, will be screened in a cinema tent in the Museum of Finnish Architecture courtyard as part of the Helsinki Festival programme Short Shadow, Long Journey. The Universe of Rex Rinnekangas. The soundtrack is Finnish with English subtitles.

Free admission during the Night of the Arts. Other films: 1 film 5 euros / 2 films 8 euros / 3 films 10 euros.

Public tour of The Best School in the World exhibition during the Night of the Arts

Throughout the past decade, Finland has been a top performer in international assessments of learning outcomes. This is evident from the results of the OECD’s PISA surveys of student achievement. So what makes Finnish schools so outstanding?

The starting point for the Finnish Museum of Architecture's summer exhibition is the premise that learning is influenced by the environment in which it takes place. It examines the Finnish school establishment today and in the past from the viewpoint of its architecture.

The exhibition is open to the public 8 June – 25 September 2011 with a free public tour on 26 August at 7 pm.